Neither Poverty Nor Riches

Reading Record: January

2012-02-04T12:02:00.001-08:00

Just for fun, I'm going to show you what I've been reading.

(And in the months to come, when you wonder why I haven't posted anything on my blog lately, you'll have a pretty good idea of what's eating up my "spare" time!)

The Loft

2012-01-23T11:42:00.000-08:00

Have I ever shown you the neat little loft we have in our bedroom?

It's small, but it's got great light from the skylight.

It was horribly dirty and dusty when we moved in, and the carpet reeked from a decade of dust and cigarette smoke, so I pulled up the carpet a few months ago and the kids helped me clean the floor and railings thoroughly.

We've been using the loft for storage, partly because it was so dirty, but mostly because the only way to get to it was through the pull-down ladder to the attic at the other end of the house.

See? There's a space for a ladder at one end,

but no ladder.

That's where my oh-so-handy husband came in. I showed him the Jefferson ladder I wanted, and he built it.

Now I can start working on transforming the loft from storage space into living space!

The Price of Beauty

2012-01-23T10:33:00.000-08:00

The bare branches were coated first with snow, then with ice, giving that poor lonely tree a unique beauty all its own.

But that fleeting beauty came with a heavy price.

Survival Essentials: January 2012 Edition

2012-01-22T22:00:00.000-08:00

Survival Essential #1: Coffee

We learned that it is possible to grind coffee beans with a wooden spoon. Then when the water finally boils on the wood stove, our little French Press provides us each with a decent cup (or two) of coffee.

Survival Essential #2: Food

On Wednesday, the day before the power went out, I cooked up two huge batches of beans to freeze for future use.

They warmed up nicely in a big cast iron pot on the wood stove for dinner Thursday and Friday nights. (It will be a while before we're ready to have beans again!)

We learned that pancakes cooked on the grill are especially yummy.

(So are fried eggs and pesto-encrusted salmon!)

(But not all at the same time, of course.)

Survival Essential #3: Water

Remember the hand-pump we had installed on our well this summer?

The man of the house pumped lots of water.

LOTS of water.

For washing dishes, flushing, cooking, and drinking.

Survival Essential #4: Candles

Once it got dark, we all curled up in blankets and quilts in the living room and read by candlelight.

Survival Essential #5: Laundry Tub

Sunday morning I finally gave in and did some laundry.

Some things just can't wait.

Survival Essential, Special Mention: Wood stove

The wood stove was the center of attention. It boiled water for coffee and tea, heated food, heated dish water, dried wet gloves and clothes, kept us warm, and even provided (some) light in the evenings.

I can't imagine these last few days without it.

And Then...

2012-01-22T20:54:00.000-08:00

...the power went out.

For over 3 1/2 days.

Yeah. THAT was fun.

Snow Day

2012-01-18T12:12:00.001-08:00

Eight inches and counting...

A Lesson Learned

2012-01-10T16:28:00.000-08:00

This past summer, I was introduced to G.K. Chesterton's Father Brown stories. I read them and loved them, so when I saw this book at our little local used bookstore last week, I snatched it up. I was not disappointed.

Until I got to the end, anyway. Most of the book was exactly what I expected...interesting, fun to read, humourous on occasion, and sometimes thought-provoking.

But then I finished the book, feeling a little lost and kind of disgruntled because in the end, it didn't make sense to me. I had loved most of the book, and I wanted to love all of it, so I tried re-reading the ending before I went to bed.

I was still confused.

I thought about the book for hours before I fell asleep, and I dreamed about it "all night", so the next morning I picked it up again and flipped it open to the back of the book. On the very last page, as a publisher's bonus in this paperback version I have, there was an excerpt from a 1936 newspaper article that Chesterton had written, and this section in particular caught my interest:

Having been thus prompted, I flipped back to the front of the book to (ahem) read the title page:

And now that I have discovered what this book professes to be, I can honestly say that yes, I've read G.K. Chesterton's The Man Who Was Thursday, and I loved it!

The whole thing.

And from now on, the title page will be the first thing I read when starting a book.

(Thank you for the lesson, Mr. Chesterton!)

8 Pens, 1 Notebook, and a Stack o' Books

2012-01-10T15:40:00.000-08:00

When my favorite black pen died, I could have bought just one to replace it. Instead I bought the colorful 10-pack, even though I didn't need any of the colors for anything special.

The leather-bound notebook was a Christmas gift a few years ago. It was buried in a box because I could find no worthy purpose for it.

The stack of books I want to read soon...ah, the books! I never need a reason to buy another book.

(Disclaimer: It just so happens, however, that three of the books in this stack were purchased under the expenditure category of "preview for future school use". Just so you know.)

I'm not sure exactly how it happened, but those pens have finally found a use of their own and the notebook now has a purpose, all because of books like those.

I've started what some call a Commonplace Book, which is simply a collection of note-worthy quotes that I have copied from the books I read. I use a different color pen for each book, partly for easier reference, but mostly just because it's fun!

I've noticed two things about keeping a Commonplace Book. One is that I read more slowly and deliberately (a hard thing for a natural speed-reader!), and often re-read passages as well, because I don't want to miss anything worth writing down. I have also noticed that the books that I've chosen to read since I started my Commonplace Book have (for the most part) been more challenging and more thought-provoking than books I've chosen in the past.

Which leads me to make a confession: I have not made a lot of exceptional "literature" choices in the past few years. In fact, much of what I've read over the last decade can hardly be called literature at all! (I have called it many things: "fluff", "mindless", "just for fun", "a quick read"...and now, honest with myself at last, I'll call it "junk".)

But that's behind me now. I've turned over a new leaf...of notebook paper.

In the back of my Commonplace Book, I've started a list (color-coordinated to match my quotes from each book, of course!) of the books I have read in 2012. There's only one rule...no "junk" books allowed.

Some of them may be short and/or easy to read, some may be borrowed from the kids' bookshelves, and some may be challenging to read or perhaps simply thought-provoking, but I am determined that they will all, for whatever reason they are chosen, be worth reading.

Thinking of Christmas...

2011-12-21T18:29:00.000-08:00

Our Patriotic Christmas Tree

(with only red, white, and blue lights)...

...because the green strand died.

We all like the idea (and the effect) so much though, that we're planning to do it again next year!

***

Another nativity set.

(I know! Another one! But because of its purpose, this might be the most important one we own.)

This one, made by Schleich, is extremely well made and durable.

It is meant to be played with.

(Because I firmly believe that Baby Jesus should not be off-limits!)

His and Mine

2011-12-19T17:46:00.001-08:00

The J-3 Piper Cub may be his,

but the oh-so-happy owner/pilot is definitely mine!

Log Home Christmas: The Little Pictures

2011-12-19T17:09:00.000-08:00

Log Home Christmas: The Big Pictures

2011-12-19T10:34:00.000-08:00

The Living Room, dressed up for Christmas!

(The wool quilts made by my great-grandma will stay in the living room all winter long!)

The stairs decorated with stockings from my husband's childhood

and stuffed handsewn ornaments

made by his great-grandma!

The gift-wrapping station located under the stairs

features an old wooden box I just inherited from my mother-in-law!

Reading Around the Fire

2011-12-16T19:43:00.000-08:00

After your little brother is in bed and the house is quiet,

there's just nothing like curling up with a good book next to a warm fire,

especially when you're already in your jammies.

Daughter #3 opted for some poetry tonight:

Shel Silverstein, to be exact.

***

Daughter #1 is reading Prince Caspian

(from the Chronicles of Narnia)...

...for the second time in two days.

***

Daughter #2 is tackling The Spirit of St. Louis

by Charles Lindbergh

(because Daddy liked it).

Night Music

2011-12-12T21:51:00.000-08:00

This is not an uncommon sound around here.

Sometimes I find it beautiful.

Sometimes it is just chilling.

This was part of tonight's concert.

Beautiful or chilling?

Turn the volume way up, and then you decide:

Happy Christmas!

2011-12-12T16:20:00.000-08:00

As I got out the Christmas decorations this year,

I noticed that I have collected more than a few Nativity sets!

This one my husband bought for me in Israel

when we were in high-school:

The Scrabble letters spell out "Happy Birth Celebration"

(because according to Google, there is no Hebrew for "Happy Christmas").

***

This set came to us from Mexico via my husband's grandparents:

(Does Feliz Navidad really need translated?

Really? Oh. Well, it means "Happy Christmas" in Spanish!)

***

My friend got this one for me when she lived in Germany:

Frohe Weihnachten means Happy Christmas in German

(or so the internet tells me!)

***

My husband remembers this one from his childhood:

(it's new to us this year)

***

My grandma got this in Peru

(where I spent most of my childhood)

and although it's an ornament and not really a set,

it counts because it's the only Nativity-themed thing I've got from Peru!

Over the Weekend

2011-12-05T13:52:00.000-08:00

This weekend, while my parents stayed with the kids, my husband and I flew to the other side of the country so he could run a half-marathon with some friends.

It was sunny and almost warm on race day, and 4/6 of our group had fun running their race.

The other 2/6 of our group had fun not running the race,

and after the 4/6 crossed the finish line, 6/6 of us spent the rest of the day having fun together!

Cat Math

2011-11-30T16:40:00.001-08:00

First there were three.

We added a redhead to match our redhead, so then there were four.

A week ago we lost one, and were down to three again.

We lost another one on Saturday night, and now there are two.

(Now the cats sleep in the garage at night...because the coyotes don't.)

Home Tour - Part 3

2011-11-15T16:56:00.000-08:00

As requested, here is the final installment of our home tour!

(If you'd like to see the first two parts click here and here.)

The Master Bathroom:

The Office/Music Room/Guest Room:

The Laundry Room:

And that's the end of the home tour!

(Want to come visit?)

Laundry Room Make-Over

2011-11-15T16:52:00.000-08:00

I finally couldn't take it any longer.

The clutter in the laundry room was getting to me.

So I decided to give the laundry room a make-over.

The only rule was that I had to use only what I had on hand around the house.

It almost...

...ALMOST...

...makes me want to do some laundry.

Batter My Heart

2011-10-28T11:35:00.001-07:00

Batter my Heart, Three-Personed God

by John Donne 1573 - 1631

Batter my heart, three-personed God, for you

As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend;

That I may rise and stand, o'erthrow me, and bend

Your force to break, blow, burn, and make me new.

I, like an usurped town to another due,

Labor to admit to you, but oh, to no end;

Reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend,

But is captived, and proves weak or untrue.

Yet dearly I love you, and would be lovéd fain

But am betrothed unto your enemy;

Divorce me, untie or break that knot again;

Take me to you, imprison me, for I,

Except you enthrall me, never shall be free,

Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.

Disclaimer: You who know me well, know that I have not ever been a big fan of poetry. (Shakespeare's plays don't count.) :)

Maybe I just wasn't reading the right poetry.

Home Tour - Part 2

2011-10-03T13:24:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Part 2 of our Home Tour.

Log stairs:

Upstairs landing:

The boy's bedroom:

The girls' bedroom:

Master bedroom:

The Attic:

(to be continued...)

(maybe...)

Pieces of Fall in My Living Room

2011-09-23T13:17:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of Fall, so I had the kids collect some of the elements of the season to bring in and display indoors.

Apparently our trees don't know it's supposed to be Fall.

And it's 80˚ outside today.

Maybe we'll try again next week...

Home Tour - Part 1

2011-09-23T11:55:00.000-07:00

When we moved into this house in June, I had every intention of doing a photo tour...

just as soon as I had every room set up the way I want it.

Now that September is almost gone, I have accepted that

the room-set-up-thing's not going to happen any time soon.

So here's a partial tour of our new house as it looks right now, and maybe someday (if and when things ever get arranged like we want them) I'll do another "official" tour.

To the right of the front door:

The Living Room

(looking left from the front door)

The Dining Room:

The Kitchen:

(to be continued...)

Firewood

2011-09-21T14:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had firewood delivered to our house,

and all four of the kids worked together and turned this:

into this:

I'm telling you, these kids are handy to have around!

I Like Cats

2011-09-05T21:20:00.000-07:00

I like cats.

I like taking pictures.

So I took some pictures of our new cats.

And, since this is MY blog, I can post those pictures of our new cats if I want to...

and then YOU can decide if you want to look at them or not.

Everyone's happy this way!

Maria

(She's the only girl, and my youngest daughter picked her name. I've been singing "How do you solve a problem like Maria..." - from The Sound of Music - for days now.)

Tommy

(I know, a tomcat named Tommy doesn't sound very original, but my middle daughter named him Tommy in all innocence because she likes the name. I'm not going to enlighten her.)

Billy

(I have no idea why my oldest daughter picked the name Billy.)

Grocery List

2011-09-04T08:16:00.000-07:00

We've got family here this weekend, so I went into town yesterday morning before they came to get supplies to make homemade ice cream.

On my grocery list:

milk

cream

eggs

kittens?!?

cat food?!?

Hey, it was MY list!

8-24-2011 = 15!

2011-08-25T17:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was our 15th anniversary!

There were candles, music, a romantic dinner and flowers...just not at our house, and not for us!

We opted for time shared in the bright sunshine instead of candles. I helped my husband work on the roof of the pump house while tools, kids and a dog provided the "music". When we called it a day, he helped me with dinner (which was yummy, and fed all six of us), and dandelions in the yard filled the flower requirement.

That's my idea of romantic!

*Editor's note: Deeper thoughts on marriage coming soon...when I'm not so busy spending time with my husband!) :)

Robert

2011-07-28T11:55:00.000-07:00

We lived in the Peruvian jungle when I was little, where houses were built with screen windows and tin roofs. In one of the houses we lived in for a while, my bedroom was in the attic, and it was not an uncommon thing to be awakened in the middle of the night by the sound of wings fluttering in the darkness as a bat flew around my room. It was more irritating than frightening, and the remedy was simple. I just laid still in my bed and shouted:

"Daaaaaaddyyyyyy, there's a bat in my room!"

Soon, the light would come on, and up the stairs would come my daddy, armed with a tennis racket. I would pull the sheet over my head, and Dad and his tennis racket took care of the bat. (I watched him chase bats the first few times it happened, but when one landed on my bed after meeting the racket, I quit watching and just waited under the sheet from then on.)

Yesterday afternoon, my son was absolutely convinced that there was a bird in our house. We looked everywhere, and when we didn't find a bird, or any evidence of one, I convinced him that because of the way the light was shining through the window, every time a bird flew by outside, the shadow went across the wall inside. And then a bird flew by and showed him what I meant. So he agreed that that was probably what he saw, I told them the story of Grandpa chasing bats in my bedroom, and we went on with our day.

And then, when I went upstairs to go to bed, I heard a little scratching noise from up high by our open attic/loft. Thinking that maybe my son really HAD seen a bird, I turned on the light, and then stood and watched a bat crawl around on the wall by the ceiling.

Of course I did what any sensible, grown-up girl would do.

I called my Daddy.

"Daaaaaddyyyyy! There's a bat in my room!"

And like any sensible Daddy who is two hours away (and not currently feeling up to doing any bat-chasing anyway), he asked me if I had a tennis racket.

I have a racket. I also have a large plastic container with air holes punched in the lid for catching and examining creatures we'd rather not hold (like bees, tiny lizards, and bats). Armed with both, with my two oldest daughters close behind me, I approached the bat in my bedroom. It flew toward me, and I swung the racket. It dodged. My daughters shrieked with laughter and ran out of the room to report to their younger sister, who was hiding quite sensibly under a blanket in the hallway. The process was repeated. And repeated. And repeated. Until I accidentally dropped the racket.

At which point I just threw the container at the bat. The bat dodged, and my girls laughed even harder. The bat flew up into the loft, and refused to come back down. So I dragged over the ladder and climbed up after it, racket first.

I couldn't find it. I looked all over the lighted part, and saw no sign of it. I was thinking about crossing over into the unlit side of the attic in search of it when I turned my head and saw it clinging to the side of the beam at the roof line.

It didn't seem fair to smash it with the racket, so I opened up the plastic container and held the lid ready. It took me a few minutes to cross those few feet between us. I didn't want to spook it, and I like to think that it was lulled into stillness by my repetitive muttering. "It's only a bat. It's only a bat. It's only a bat. When I get close it's going to fly into my face. No, it's only a bat. It's only a bat."

And then it was in the container, and the lid was on. I climbed down out of the loft and we took the bat where the light was better so we could examine it. The girls exclaimed over its little tiny teeth and claws, how its ears moved as it listened, and how funny it looked when it tried to crawl, like it was wearing a dress that was too big. And then my animal lovers decided that instead of saving it until morning to show their brother what his "bird" really was and risk letting it suffocate, we should let it go.

So we did. Outside, of course, where it belongs.

After the girls had named it Robert.

Still Hungry...Maybe

2011-07-26T18:53:00.000-07:00

After dinner, Mr. Adorable came and found me where I was working.

Mr. Adorable: Mom, I'm still hungry.

Me: Really?

Mr. Adorable: Yeah, but if I don't like the idea, I'm not going to have it.

Me: You mean, if I tell you that you can have a carrot, you won't still be hungry?

Mr. Adorable: Yeah.

Me: You can have a carrot.

Mr. Adorable: I guess I'm full.

He's Lucky I Shoot With a Camera

2011-07-06T19:09:00.000-07:00

Our resident buck has decided that he likes to lay in the sand next to the barn.

I caught him there twice today.

However, he does NOT appreciate having his picture taken.

Front Porch Sittin'

2011-07-03T09:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was sitting on my front porch listening to this:

and this verse popped into my head:

"Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth."

Psalm 46:10

The Letter D

2011-07-02T21:22:00.000-07:00

D is for Doormat.

D is for Dog.

D is for Dog on Doormat.

D is for Dog on Doormat...

who dares to deliberately destroy and devour dastardly dive-bombing bees.

From the Land of Randomness

2011-07-01T21:40:00.000-07:00

Our new neighbor is a real bear. No, really. The big, black furry kind. I looked out my kitchen window one evening, and there was a bear in our backyard. By the time I grabbed my camera, it had wandered into the tall grass behind the barn, but at least I have visual proof...kind of.

See the black fuzzy blob in the center of the picture?

That's my bear.

Look what else we've got! We had a manual well pump installed, so now if we ever lose power, we still have water...and four kids to help haul it.

It's pretty cool.

We've also got quite a few of these. We've even named some of them:

Dinner, Lunch, Stew, and Yummy.

Tonight as I was making dinner, Mr. Adorable commented from the living room:

"Mom, being a knight is hard."

And on one of our exploratory hikes before we moved in, our realtor took a picture of these signs on the hill behind the house:

(SCENIC VEIW ... NEXT 2 LEFTS)

A German German Shepherd

2011-06-21T19:06:00.000-07:00

My husband and I have always talked about getting a dog. Now that we live out in the country, we were thinking about getting a big one, like maybe a German Shepherd or something.

Maybe not a puppy though, we said. Too much work training and housebreaking a puppy.

Wouldn't it be neat, we said, if we could find a dog that was already trained, was great with kids, and just needed a new home.

Yeah, that'd be neat. We'll start looking soon, we said.

Instead, he found us.

Ruger is a three-year-old German Shepherd imported from Germany. He showed up at our house on Sunday afternoon, and after many phone calls I finally got ahold of his owner, who lives on a road not too far from our house.

His owner is currently traveling and the neighbor who was taking care of him had forgotten to secure him before she left the property, so he went exploring. His owner apologized for the hassle and gave me directions on how to find her house so we could take him back.

And then she mentioned that she was trying to find a new home for him because she travels so much and can't give him the attention he needs.

Um, yeah. He's getting lots of that at our house. Maybe instead of taking him back to an empty house, we could just keep him for her until she gets home. And then if everything works out, maybe not give him back at all.

Everyone thought that sounded like a great plan.

So Ruger is ours for the next few weeks...and could become ours to keep!

Log Houses

2011-06-15T16:05:00.001-07:00

You know what I think is especially cool about these log houses?

They were built inside THIS log house:

which has this barn, round pen, and chicken coop next to it:

and this creek running behind it:

in the middle of 6+ acres of land:

and they're all ours!

Things I've Learned in the Past Three Days

2011-05-04T11:34:00.000-07:00

I can easily drink 2-3 pots of tea daily.
If you want to reduce the noise levels in your home, speak very softly. Everyone else will speak very softly too.
The world will not stop if all my self-assigned tasks do not get completed.
However, dishes and laundry do not take care of themselves.
It is very hard to make important phone calls when you have no voice.
It is also very hard to whine.

Just Call Him Peter...

2011-04-15T13:35:00.000-07:00

Peter Tchaikovsky, that is!

Gray Skies, Bright Flowers, and Rainbows!

2011-04-05T12:47:00.000-07:00

When the sky looks like this in the middle of the day,

you just have to bring Spring inside for a while!

***

Or, you could just wait a few hours, and get this!

^{Genesis 9:14-15}

It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.

Happy Spring!

2011-03-20T22:24:00.001-07:00

Heard Around Here Lately

2011-03-08T11:05:00.000-08:00

(Names have been changed to protect the innocent...)

The Boy, pressing his face into the "window" of the front loading washing machine: "Mommy, when I put my head in here and it bangs around, my eyes go up and down!"

The Boy, running around in circles in the family room: "Mommy, when I run around like this I am getting my energy! Does it look like my feet will fall off?"

The biggest sister: "Hold on a minute. I need to catch my breath from talking!"

My littlest girl, getting ready for soccer practice: "Mommy, when we're getting ready to go somewhere, I just get happy and sad at the same time, and it makes a blob in my heart."

The Boy, in the bathtub: "Mommy, did you hear that noise?!? My bottom burped!"

To Be Continued...

A New Kind of Chaos

2011-03-03T19:46:00.001-08:00

We are halfway through a season that is new to us.

(No, it's not the dirty floors.)

(Piles of laundry are not a new sight, either.)

All four kids are playing soccer.

On four different teams.

With four different sets of practices and games three to four times a week.

***

My washing machine works very well.

So does my dryer.

Dishes and Dust

2011-02-22T17:33:00.001-08:00

It began less than an hour into our year-long lease.

We were doing the walk-through with the lady from the rental agency when I stepped in a puddle in the middle of the kitchen floor.

Kitchens that have been empty and unused for months should not have puddles on the floor.

Upon investigation, it was discovered that the water was coming from under the dishwasher. So was that funky moldy smell.

The dishwasher was installed right before the owners left the house, and apparently the installer neglected to tighten the water hoses properly. No one knows how long it leaked before the water to the house was shut off.

The house sat empty for three or more months, waiting for us to find it and rent it. And while it sat, the water seeped under the four layers of old vinyl flooring and permeated the sub-flooring with moldy, stagnant water. The mold spores had a little party on the floor, too, and they didn't leave out the wall or cupboards. Generous, those mold spores are.

For a week, I cleaned and unpacked around a disconnected dishwasher in the center of my kitchen, and I dodged fans, heaters, and bottles of bleach while I washed dishes by hand. (My husband took care of the gross moldy work, so I couldn't complain too loud!) We let the mess air out and dry while we were gone for Christmas, and were given the go-ahead to reinstall the dishwasher when we got home.

It was a wonderful few days.

The kitchen still had that funky smell, and the floor was feeling warped and getting spongier where it hadn't been spongy before. We called the rental agency and insisted that they have a contractor come look at it.

The contractor came and looked at everything and submitted a bid for the work. The owners approved it, and work began.

The first thing they did was take out the dishwasher and set it on the back deck.

It sat out there for over two weeks.

The first day they were here, the guys tore out the floor. All four layers of vinyl and the nasty wet sub-flooring. They put in new sub-flooring in the dry parts of the kitchen, and then, mid-morning everything came to a screeching halt.

The damage went farther than the contractor had suspected, and until there had been much conversation between the contractor, the rental agency, and the owners (who are out of the country), he couldn't do anything more.

Of course not. Because now, not only was the dishwasher outside and unusable, but the kitchen floor was rough, uneven, and highly susceptible to spills. And the counters, dining room furniture, and contents of the open pantry were covered in a fine layer of really gross dust.

Lovely.

The insurance adjuster was a no-show for the first appointment (the existence of which we were completely unaware of), and when everyone showed up for the (also unannounced) meeting the next morning, he was over half an hour late. And he was extremely rude and defensive before he even looked at anything.

After a highly tense conversation in my kitchen, everyone left, the insurance adjuster promising to call the rental agency that afternoon, and the rental agency promising to contact us as soon as they knew anything.

Over a week later, we gave up and contacted them.

Still, nothing happened.

Until finally, we were told the contractor would contact us to see when he could come. We made an appointment for the next Monday.

Late that Monday morning he called and postponed it until Tuesday morning.

It was almost not morning anymore when they got here on Tuesday, but they got right to work tearing out and rebuilding the affected cabinet and prepping the floor for a new layer of vinyl.

There was now a thick layer of sawdust over my entire kitchen and dining room.

Wednesday morning brought final preparations and the cutting and laying out of the new vinyl. By lunch time, the new floor was glued into place. As they were moving the fridge back into place a few hours later, the kitchen got very quiet. For a very long time. They'd torn a huge hole in the brand-new vinyl. So they went to Home Depot and bought some thin plywood, which they laid down over the vinyl and told me they'd see me in the morning.

On Thursday morning, the actions of Wednesday morning were repeated, and after the second installation of brand-new vinyl, they successfully maneuvered the fridge into place without damaging anything and got around to finally reinstalling the dishwasher.

And it's been running almost non-stop ever since!

THE END

Naptime

2011-02-08T13:32:00.002-08:00

For several weeks now, my three year old has been protesting against naptime. He lays down readily enough and falls asleep almost instantly. That part has never been a problem.

The issue has been that once I announce that naptime is either approaching or imminent, he stages a protest using one or more of the following arguments:

"I'm NOT tired!"

"It's NOT naptime!"

"I don't WANT to take a nap!"

"Naptime is bah-humbug!"

Coincidentally, we have also been working on not talking back.

So, today, with half an hour to go until naptime, he came looking for me.

Mr. Adorable: "Mommy, is it almost naptime?"

Me: "Soon."

Mr. Adorable: "Good!"

He just likes to keep me on my toes.

Mommy's Recipes

2011-01-17T21:24:00.003-08:00

I like to eat. So does my family.

Naturally, I started collecting cookbooks. And cooking magazines. And recipes scribbled on 3x5 cards. And ideas printed off the internet or jotted down on scratch paper. I even have a recipe that I found tucked between the pages of one of my grandma's cookbooks. It's a newspaper clipping ... in Spanish.

By 2008, the collection took up an entire six feet of shelving. I was just a little bit overwhelmed.

So I started a blog to help keep track of our favorite recipes. It serves many purposes.

1. Our favorite recipes are preserved for posterity (or at least for as long as blogspot's server lasts) on the internet, where

2. I can access them even when I am not at home.

3. It makes it very easy to share my recipes with friends when they ask. (Hi Amy!) :)

4. And if anything ever happens to my recipe notebook (see below), I can very easily put together a new one.

The blog is handy, all right, but it wasn't helping any with the cookbook clutter. However, moving was a great excuse to purge the cookbook shelves. I recycled magazines, took some cookbooks to a used book store, tossed scraps of paper in the trash...and stuffed two folders full of recipes to try.

Once most of the boxes were unpacked and we felt kind of settled in here, I started another serious purge of the remaining recipes. I typed up and posted on the blog the ones that we've tried and liked, then went through the whole blog and printed out every recipe. I stuck those pages in a binder filled with page protectors and now my recipes are legible, organized, and protected from spills.

Unfortunately, I still have a whole box of cookbooks to unpack.

I have no idea where I'm going to put them.

Which is why they are still not unpacked.

But I can still cook my family's favorite meals, thanks to Mommy's Recipes!

(Does that sound like a cheesy infomercial, or what?!?)

A Tale of Two Shirts...The Saga Continues

2011-01-17T20:57:00.006-08:00

I haven't decided which I prefer...all four at once or one at a time.

Can I pick neither? No? Well, I'm sure there will be another round at some point, and I'll get another chance to consider the issue.

Really, though, I'd rather not.

It started Saturday morning with Mr. Adorable. And it was the full deal. Fever, headache, and hurting tummies (complete with messes from both ends). This time around, the kids tried it one at a time, and every one of them did it differently.

It was a very long nine days.

A Tale of Two Shirts

2011-01-09T21:34:00.001-08:00

Although we are in Seattle Seahawks country, I am not (yet) a Seahawks fan. So of course my cousin bought me a Hasselbeck jersey. (If you don't speak football or NFL, Hasselbeck is the Seahawks quarterback.)

Wonder of wonders, the Seahawks made it to the playoffs, so yesterday morning when I got dressed, I put that jersey on, because after all, we are in Seattle Seahawks country and the first game of the day was actually in Seattle.

Five minutes after I put it on, Mr. Adorable, who wasn't feeling very well, asked to be held. I picked him up and cuddled him in the middle of the kitchen. Thirty seconds later, I was not only wearing my Hasselbeck jersey, but I was also wearing the remnants of what Mr. Adorable had eaten for dinner the night before.

I threw all of our clothes in the washing machine, and after a shower and a change of clothes for the boy, I got cleaned up too and came out of the bedroom wearing a Tennessee Titans t-shirt. Mr. Adorable took one look at me and announced:

"That's a better shirt!"

I'm pretty sure he meant because it was clean.

(And just so you know, when the Seahawks won their game, I was wearing my freshly laundered Hasselbeck jersey. Because I support my local NFL team. Kind of. At least when they're not playing one of my favorite teams. And when their quarterback is doing a decent job. And for sure when they're the only game on. And absolutely when they're playing against the Saints. Who beat my beloved Colts in the Super Bowl last year. In which my beloved Colts will not be playing this year. Maybe it's time for me to put my money where my mouth is and buy a Manning jersey. So it can get thrown up all over on game day. And then I could change into my Hasselbeck jersey...)

So Here We Are

2011-01-05T12:37:00.004-08:00

We did it! With a lot of help from our friends and family, we loaded up the 26 foot rental truck, the van, and the back of the Ford F150, and drove from Tennessee to Washington. We went the southern route to avoid snow complications, so it took us five days instead of four, but we made it!

Moving is always an adventure, but this move has been more eventful than I expected, which is why I am still unpacking boxes (and not blogging) all these weeks later. We also took a week-long break from moving in and went home to Oregon for Christmas. We brought even more furniture back home with us...and inherited a piano too!

And now we are officially living in beautiful, wet Washington. We're not quite settled in, but we're not exactly living out of boxes, either. My kitchen is functional, even if it is not quite all put together, the bedrooms and living areas are set up and mostly clutter-free, and there are only a few more boxes left to unpack.

Unfortunately I am finding that even in Washington, the laundry, dishes, and grocery shopping do not do themselves. But that's something I'm learning to live with! :)

Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay...aka AAAACCCKKKK!!!!

2010-11-26T18:25:00.002-08:00

We were going to move ourselves, so I started packing (slowly) in September.

Then our plans changed, and we decided to have the movers do most of the work and only take some of the stuff ourselves. So I unpacked a few things, rearranged others, and quit packing.

Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay.

As happens more than occasionally in this household, we then changed our minds again and decided to move ourselves. No movers.

Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay.

I have two weeks to pack up the house.

AAAACCCKKKK!!!!

Almost Alexander

2010-11-21T09:10:00.003-08:00

Remember Alexander and his terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day?

My Thursday was only slightly better.

Our day started at 5:00 a.m., with excited whispering from four little voices upstairs. Only four more hours until their dentist appointments! I made them go back to bed, but none of us went back to sleep, so an hour later we officially started our day. It was gray, cloudy, and cold.

With beds made, rooms straightened up, and all four kids dressed, we started school. While they were working on their math, I started my coffee and the laundry. In hindsight, my first attempt at pouring a cup of coffee was the first warning that my day was NOT going to go as planned.

It was cold. It was clear. And it most definitely was NOT coffee.

So THEN I poured the pot of water into the coffee maker, and waited a little longer for my first cup of coffee. I should have just gone back to bed.

The girls finished their "at the table" schoolwork before we had breakfast, and after we ate, they finished their chores and got ready to go, finishing schoolwork "on the fly". We were planning to leave the house at 8:30, leaving plenty of time for the 15 minute drive to the dentist's office and our 9:00 appointment. At 8:25, I finished getting dressed and ran upstairs to do my final "leave the house ready to be shown" check.

On my way up the stairs, my skirt fell down.

I made a very quick decision to go with my back-up outfit, and ran back downstairs to change. Of course, I couldn't just throw the first outfit on the floor, because the house had to be left "show ready", so I hung everything back up neatly and scrambled into jeans and a sweater. After a hurried final, final check, we loaded up the van and pulled out of the driveway at 8:40.

Halfway down the street, I asked my eldest daughter if she had locked the front door when I asked her to..."Oh, no, Mom, I forgot!" Growling, I turned around and went back to the house. I ran through the garage and into the house to lock the front door from the inside, only to find that it was already locked. I chose NOT to scream, took a deep breath, and got back in the van.

We pulled out of the driveway at 8:45, and signed into the dentist's office at 8:58. Whew! I hate being late.

An hour and no cavities later, we piled back into the van and headed to Goodwill. I am a big believer in combining errands once we're already out of the house. I should have just gone home.

Two hours and an overflowing shopping cart later, we were all starving. We had one more stop to make, so we went through the drive-thru at Chik-Fil-A to get lunch.

With a horrible grinding, crunching noise, my window refused to roll back up. Not with the automated up and down button. Not with pure willpower. Not even with all the elbow grease my already tired arms could muster.

So with the window rolled up only a quarter of the way, and sunglasses on to keep stuff out of my eyes, we headed to our last stop. By necessity it turned from a let's-all-go-in kind of errand into mom-will-just-drop-stuff-off-outside kind of errand, and when I was finished unloading the van, I managed to muscle the window up to at least halfway closed, and then we went home.

In the driveway, I managed to push and pull and coax the window up within a few inches of being closed, then took a break to put Mr. Adorable down for his nap. While I was inside, I called my husband to confirm which repair shop I should use. He answered his phone (a small miracle, that...to actually get through to my pilot husband on the first try) and confirmed that I should take it in to the repair shop that we've used before. I called the repair shop, hoping for a Friday morning appointment.

Could I bring it in now? Well, my son just went down for a nap... They close at 5, and it's already 2, and it may take a while to get the door panel off, diagnose the problem, and get it repaired, so it's really up to me... A short nap is even worse than no nap, but it looks like it could rain again at any minute...

I got everyone ready to go again, and 10 minutes later, we were on our way to the shop. After sitting in the waiting area for an hour, the news came. It's an easy fix, but they'll have to order the $158 part, and it won't be in until Monday. Which is when we can pay the rest of the $378 total. Great.

They jimmy my window into a mostly closed position, which whistles horribly, and a tiny stream of cold air is directed straight into my eyes. At least it wasn't too dark yet for sunglasses.

Since we were already out, we stopped at Walmart to pick up a few groceries, then headed home for the second time that day. And for the second time that day, I forgot to stop at the gas station.

It could have been worse.

And for the record, I have no plans to move to Australia.

The Beginning of the End

2010-11-05T16:26:00.003-07:00

It's finally here. The beginning of the end of my time on Facebook. Well, actually the beginning of the end passed by unnoticed (by most of you) some time ago, when I mentioned on Facebook that I was thinking about downsizing my list of friends. I was feeling just a little overwhelmed at the time, but I didn't actually do it then because I didn't want to hurt any feelings.

A few weeks ago, I read a news article that claimed that any of your Facebook friends could add you, without your knowledge or consent, to any group they wanted to, unless you changed your privacy settings so that they couldn't. I couldn't believe it, but it turns out it was true, so I changed my settings and started to think.

How well did I actually know some of my "friends", or the people looking over their shoulders? Um. So I bit the bullet and without announcing anything, deleted over half of my friends. I felt much better.

Until today.

Today I got an email (from a source that shall remain anonymous) about that little feature on Facebook that tracks and maps when and where you log in. That was the straw that broke the camel's back. I changed my settings again, and finally made the decision.

I am done with Facebook.

It may take me a few days to collect and catalogue all the email addresses of people I'd actually like to stay in touch with, but once I'm done with that, I. Am. SO. Done with Facebook.

This blog is going to see a lot more action. It's happy about that. I am too.

And shoot, if you really care about what's happening in our lives, you can read all about it on this blog. It'll be just like Facebook, with status updates and a comment section, but way less complicated.

Yep, read my blog; stay updated! (I promise not to sign you up for the Underwater Basket-Weavers Association of America Group without your permission, and I won't cyber-stalk you, either. You're welcome.)

Catching Up

2010-10-30T16:36:00.002-07:00

As there is no way I can cover the happenings of the entire last year in one blog post, I'll just jump into the NOW of our lives, because it is crazy enough all on its own. Currently, (listed in no particular order):

My two third graders and one second grader are done with the first semester of their school year, and are on schedule to complete two of three terms of schoolwork before Thanksgiving weekend. (We count attendance by semesters, and measure schoolwork by terms. Crazy, I know, but it works for me!)

We are scheduled to move from Tennessee to Washington State (as in not D.C.) in approximately six weeks. And yes, we are moving ourselves.

We have been doing Saturday school so that we can finish Term Two of schoolwork in time to pack up those books and get out the Term Three books to have accessible after we move and are ready to start up again after our "Winter Break", aka Moving Break.

I have given myself five weeks to have everything packed, so that when it is really time to go, I will actually be ready.

I am focusing on cleaning out the freezers and cupboards before we move, which results in some strange meals and a lot of planning ahead. (But it's kinda fun!)

The house is on the market, and needs to be kept "show ready" at all times. We found out why last week, as we were given five minutes (literally!) notice for someone to look at the house. My house has never been so clean!

Keeping a clean house is actually kind of boring. There are no piles to take care of, the dishes and laundry stay under control (because they have to be), and when things were just cleaned the day before, they don't really need to be cleaned again.

We got out the stored-away Fall clothes for the kids about a month ago and tried everything on to see what fit and what needed replaced. Now that the weather is finally getting cooler, they (especially my six-year-old and my three-year-old) have already outgrown what fit not-so-very-long-ago. We're going on a major shopping spree at our favorite resale store next week, and we plan to make excellent use of the 20% off coupon I have been hoarding for just such an occasion. :)

I'm doing a lot of sorting, packing, and giving away. Have I mentioned that we'll be moving soon?

There. Caught up. :)

Neglected, But Not Abandoned

2010-10-28T15:12:00.000-07:00

I've kept saying to myself, "I should blog." And myself would answer, "What a great idea! Just wait until after you finish ______."

And just like that, a year went by.

So now, because I ~~don't have enough to do~~ ~~feel guilty about neglecting my creation~~ don't actually feel like doing anything that I should be doing, I have returned to the blog-o-sphere.

You can congratulate me later. (As in, you should wait to see if I can actually stick with it again for any length of time.)

Don't Look!

2009-10-18T20:59:00.001-07:00

I like football. My kids like football. We like to watch football together.

Unfortunately, there are also commercials.

As a rule, when the commercials come on, I mute them. If I deem them "safe" for the kids to see, I don't worry about who is watching, or who isn't, but if they are in any way inappropriate for my kids to see, I shout "Don't look!"

And they don't look!

Yesterday I was watching college football by myself, commercials and all, when my 5-year-old daughter came into the room unexpectedly. I had already muted them, but she glanced at the screen as I shouted, "Don't look!" She quickly looked away, and reassured me, "Don't worry, Mommy, I didn't see any bad stuff, only the word murder." (Do CSI tv show previews freak out any other parents out there?)

Today, we watched football again. After I had shouted another warning not to look at a commercial, and they all ducked their heads, someone asked me if they could watch the commercials muted until there was another scary-looking one. I told her no, and explained again how some commercials are not scary, but are definitely inappropriate for them to be watching, listening to, or reading. (Cialis or Viagra, anyone? Or perhaps a nice highly sexualized tv show preview? Sheesh.) I reminded them of what happened yesterday, when my 5-year-old read the words on a commercial without intending to. They remembered, and were again content to stick with the rules as they are already set up.

"It's all right, Mommy," my 5-year-old told me. "I didn't really read the word 'murder'. It's just that when I saw it I recognized how it was spelled."

Whew. What a relief!

Duck, Duck, Goose!

2009-09-06T14:54:00.002-07:00

Friday evening, our neighbor Mary taught my kids how to play Duck, Duck, Goose. She started by asking them to sit in a circle. They tried, but it was more like a semi-circle.

They were not off to a good start.

They listened attentively as Mary explained how the game works, and were eager to begin. They promptly declared the person doing the tagging the "Ducker".

The first girl Mary tagged as Goose lunged to her feet, gauged the distance between herself and Mary and ran the shortest distance around the circle...towards Mary instead of chasing her. Mr. Adorable jumped to his feet too, and ran around in a few random circles in the yard before sitting back down in the circle.

Mary patiently explained the rules again, while I joined the circle to play too.

The second time around, the chosen Goose started chasing the "Ducker" in the right direction, but turned around and ran the other way again so she could beat the "Ducker" back to the empty place in the circle. She didn't want to lose her spot! Mr. Adorable jumped up when she did, and ran around the circle too, diving into her lap as soon as she sat down again.

When I could breathe between bouts of laughter, I helped Mary explain the rules again.

The third time around, my second oldest daughter was tagged. She cut right to the chase...right through the middle of the circle to tag the person who had tagged her. Mr. Adorable was close behind her, and dove into my lap.

I fell over, I was laughing so hard, and while Mr. Adorable helped me sit back up, Mary explained the rules. Again.

They finally got it.

Mostly.

My five-year-old circled around two or three times on her turns as the "Ducker", and included our neighbor's beagle in the circle, too. Mr. Adorable still charged around the circle full tilt every time anyone else did, and dove into whatever lap he wanted, but three or four rounds passed smoothly enough.

Until the second to the last round.

Daughter #3 went around the circle three times before she tagged Daughter #2 as the Goose, then ran as fast as she could around the circle to get back to her spot. Daughter #2 caught up with her before she did, however...and brought her down with a flying tackle that would have made Troy Palomalu proud.

The game ended shortly thereafter, called on account of ... ice cream for dessert. :)

It Doesn't Take Long

2009-08-25T14:29:00.003-07:00

How to Drive Your Mother Crazy in 24 Hours or Less Without Even Really Trying

by the Children in our family

Start with a boot sticking out from under the kitchen counter,

and the other one in the middle of the living room, next to the pillows that are not allowed off the couches. (A sticker left upside down on the carpet, waiting to be stepped on, also adds a nice touch.)

Try leaving one magazine open and another wedged behind the cushion of the only chair,

and ponytail elastics and headbands on the couch.

Be sure to store a ball next to the couch,

and don't pick up the toilet paper you dropped on the bathroom floor.

(Don't flush, either.)

Leave a toy egg and a lego car by mom's bathroom sink,

a pair of pink flipflops under the table,

books all over the kitchen counters,

and a stuffed manatee on the old dining room table.

That ought to do the trick!

(It works sometimes with our mom, anyway!)

Garden Bounty

2009-08-25T10:30:00.007-07:00

This is my garden. It consists of three large pots containing large, unproductive plants. We don't even know for sure what we planted. It's kind of pathetic.

OK, it's very pathetic!

Most of my friends have real gardens, the kind that get planted in the ground, on time, and that actually produce enough vegetables to eat.

Lucky for me, though, sometimes my friends have plants that overproduce, and they start giving fruits and vegetables away.

So far this summer we've been given blackberries, crookneck squash, basil and other herbs, yellow squash, cucumbers, green bell peppers, zucchini, and now cherry tomatoes. A lot of cherry tomatoes! (Thanks, Deborah!)

I kind of like this gardening business! My friends do all the work, and I reap only the benefits. I get to spend time with other moms, my kids get to play with other kids, and oh, yeah, we get to eat lots of yummy things, too!

Six Hours Later...

2009-08-18T17:42:00.001-07:00

Today was our designated commissary shopping trip for the month, but we never just go to the commissary. If we're going to be out and about, I want to get it all done, so we don't have to go out again. So, we went to the PX mall, the commissary, Sam's Club, Walmart, and Kroger, and we did it all in almost exactly six hours. We got groceries, produce, cleaning supplies, diapers, and a new office chair, and while we were at Sam's Club, we also got a pair of glasses tightened.

The chair was in a huge box, and it wouldn't fit anywhere except for behind the passenger seat in the van, in front of the toddler's carseat. He liked his temporary footrest, though. My youngest daughter had two packages of toilet paper and a box of pears for her footrest, and the oldest two girls shared the back

row of the van with a huge insulated bag full of cold food.

It took me an hour to unload the van.

It took another half an hour to get all the cold food put away in the fridge and freezer, and all the rest of our purchases unpacked and set on the counter. They will live there temporarily in relative safety from my littlest helper until I have a chance to put them away.

I don't even want to talk about the state of my fridge.

Let's just say that we'll need to eat a lot of food before I can even begin to think about buying more milk or making yogurt.

I spent a lot of money. I am very, very tired.

I don't have to go back to the commissary until October (or so).

I'm not complaining! :)

Ah, Summer!

2009-07-30T16:21:00.003-07:00

The summers of my childhood were idyllic. Long, quiet summers, with no commitments, nowhere I had to be, nothing I had to do, and by the end of each one, I was really, really looking forward to school starting again.

Some things never change.

This summer was anything but idyllic. It flew past, loudly, with all kinds of commitments attached; we had to be everywhere, we had to do everything, and I find myself once again really, really looking forward to school starting again!

I've neglected my poor blogs (but I think they survived...), my house and yard are not quite as neat as usual, we've eaten out more often than I would like to admit, and I've not gotten anything really out of the ordinary accomplished around the house.

On the other hand, my children are happy, healthy, fed, and clean, and we've had some wonderful adventures lately.

It's been a wonderful summer!

(But I'm glad to be back!) :)

Beauty in Bubbles

2009-06-04T09:39:00.002-07:00

When the laundry, dishes, food prep, and housework are seem to be never-ending, I find joy in the simple things.

The very simple things.

Like soap bubbles in my skillet.

Unintentional Air Freshener

2009-06-01T19:31:00.008-07:00

I got some fresh herbs from a friend this week, and decided to dry some of them. I couldn't think of very many places that were high enough to be safely out of a toddler's reach, so I hung them from the knobs of my higher kitchen cabinets.

I don't imagine that I will ever combine these two herbs in a recipe, but as they dry we can smell them throughout the entire kitchen, and they smell SO good together! We've got a couple bunches of mint, and one bunch of oregano.

It's organic, chemical-free air freshener

that will end up re-purposed as tea and

seasonings! Two for the price of one,

except that it was free! (Thanks Amy!)

Head over to Tammy's Recipes for

more useful kitchen tips!

Of Vegetables and Kids

2009-05-19T18:41:00.001-07:00

Our commissary has two sizes of bags in the produce section. There are the normal, kinda flimsy bags that most grocery stores have, and there are some really big, strong bags that can be used for the bigger vegetables, like heads of lettuce, piles of spinach, bundles of kale or chard...even stalks of rhubarb can stand up in those bags! For most of our produce, we use the little, flimsy bags, but I like the big ones for things like bananas, corn, and broccoli.

Today, while I was picking through the asparagus, I let my two oldest daughters fill one of those small bags half-way full of green beans. They did a good job, so when they asked if they could get some broccoli too, I said yes. While I waited, I busied myself with checking my list, making sure Mr. Adorable was sitting down, and preventing my 5-year-old from squishing the grapes.

Until I heard the older couple next to me chuckling. "You don't see that every day!", the man said to his wife.

THAT would be my two very busy 7-year-old daughters, filling one of those really, big, strong plastic produce bags to the very top with broccoli. I made them put half of it back. "But, Mom!", they protested loudly, "We LIKE broccoli!"

The older couple laughed out loud.

I guess they couldn't help it. :)

Tips for Preparing to Go Grocery Shopping

2009-05-19T18:39:00.001-07:00

Today's tips are brought to you by the need to go buy some groceries.

Before backing the van out of the garage, you should:

*Make sure daughter #1 has a right shoe and a left shoe, not two matching right shoes.

*Make sure daughters #1 and #2 are in their assigned seats so there is no fighting.

*Make sure son is in his own carseat, not sitting, grinning, in daughter #2's seat.

*Go back inside and grab the diaper bag.

*Check to be sure you have your wallet and military ID.

*Go back inside to fill and hand out water bottles to all four kids...it's gonna be a hot day.

*Go back inside and get one for yourself, too.

*Go back inside again to get the cold bags, re-usable grocery bags, and milk crate full of empty bottles.

*Make sure daughter#3 has her seatbelt on properly, and while you're at it,

*please be sure to notice that she is also wearing two right shoes, and

*go back inside to find the matching left shoe.

*Grab your car keys on the way back out, and since you are going grocery shopping, you should also

*go back inside and get your grocery list off the fridge.

*Get in the van. Do not look at the clock to see how long that took you!

Have fun grocery shopping!

My Pet Cobweb

2009-05-17T19:06:00.001-07:00

I keep a cobweb in the corner of my shower. It's been there for months, and I have no immediate plans to get rid of it. It's my pet cobweb.

I like looking at it.

It reminds me that no matter how clean the rest of my house looks, there is always something that needs cleaned. There will always be a small pile of dust in a corner somewhere, the carpet will always need to be vacuumed around the edges in one room or another, and the baseboards and walls will always need to have the scuff marks wiped off. Again.

The cobweb in my shower gives me permission to NOT have a perfectly clean house. You can expect to have clean towels and mostly-clean floors if you come to visit, but I would fail a white glove test. My cobweb helps me to be okay with that.

The cobweb I keep in my shower also reminds me that there are cobwebs of another kind hidden in the shadowy corners of my soul. No matter how clean my life looks from the human perspective, God and I both know about those spiritual cobwebs. Sometimes those cobwebs are small, fairly simple to dust away, and their removal doesn't bother me much. Other times I find that they are much larger and stickier than I thought they were, and they grow faster than regular cobwebs, too.

Sometimes simply naming those spiritual cobwebs helps to clear them out: fear, gossip, laziness, selfishness, pride. Once I am aware that they are back, they are easier to dust away while they are small, but I don't always see them return. That's why I keep my pet cobweb in the corner of my shower, a visual reminder that I need to check the corners of my heart for spiritual cobwebs. Because nobody likes those kinds of cobwebs.

Not even me.

Country Pantry Goodies

2009-04-29T15:23:00.001-07:00

The Country Pantry is the little Mennonite store that we went to on Monday, and I think it's my new favorite store. Not only does it remind me of the little store we had when I was growing up, but it is just crammed full of good things, and good deals! I went specifically to get the wheat I need (to grind in my new grain mill), and I came home with a load of hard-to-find goodies.

In addition to the 50 pound bag of wheat, I got a jar of local raw honey, wheat gluten, Real Salt, alphabet noodles, arrowroot powder, unsweetened carob chips, roasted peas, and whole, hormone/antibiotic free, non-homogenized milk. When I got home and did a little research, I discovered that they also have grass-fed beef, which is hard enough for me to find that it would be worth going back just for that! (They also have farm fresh eggs, but I'm getting those for free from a friend.) After a little more research, I figured out that buying milk from them, I will save $3/gallon over buying from Walmart, and save $4/gallon over buying from the commissary (factoring in the $2 glass milk bottle deposit, of course). That's a huge savings, AND the best milk I can find! What a deal!

Are you wondering why all these things have me so excited? It's partly because of what I've learned lately about food (Have you read that book I recommended yet?), and it's partly because, well, this is my life! I am a wife and a mom. I have two adults (usually) and four growing kids to feed. A large portion of my time is spent in the kitchen cooking the healthiest food I know how. When I'm not in the kitchen I'm probably thinking about making tasty, healthy food, and sometimes (because there are four of these growing kids!) my time is spent finding the absolute best deal I can find on good, healthy food. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by my new choices, I have decided to enjoy the adventure and tackle the challenges. Mary Poppins sums it up well, I think; "In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun!"

Yes, I did just quote Mary Poppins. (What is wrong with me?!?) And yes, I am having fun! :)

An Introduction

2009-04-29T15:21:00.000-07:00

I'd like you to meet the newest addition to my kitchen. Isn't it beautiful? I haven't actually used it yet, but even so, I love that it came with a motorized base AND a free hand crank base too.

This is going to be fun! :)

P.S. It's a grain mill!

The Things I Read

2009-04-05T19:20:00.002-07:00

Let me introduce you to my new word of the week:

Orthorexia, from the Greek "ortho-" (right and correct) + "exia" (appetite) = right appetite

It sounds innocent enough, doesn't it? Eating right is a good thing, but orthorexic is a term that is being used in America to describe people with an unhealthy obsession with healthy eating. I am spending quite a bit of time and energy on the subject lately, but I am doing my best to avoid becoming one of them. :)

On the other hand, when I began to avoid foods that contain "high frucsish corn syrup" (as my 5-year-old calls it), I began to wonder about all those other ingredients and chemicals (listed and unlisted) we were consuming mindlessly. Diabetes runs in our family, and I was (and am!) determined to begin preventing it now, for both myself and for my children, but there are so many theories and diets out there that it seemed almost impossible to know which one is "right". I've been reading blogs written by nutritionally minded Christian women, and there were a few books on the subject that were repeatedly mentioned. However, since I refuse to take advice from random people that I don't even know, I decided to read some books for myself and draw my own conclusions. First I did a bunch of research online and came up with a list of books I wanted to read, and then we made a trip to the library. I came home with titles like Real Food by Nina Planck, In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan, For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway, and The Omnivores Dilemma by Michael Pollan.

First I read Real Food; What to Eat and Why by Nina Planck, and I learned about things like cholesterol (which I have never understood until now!), why eggs and milk are good for us, and how "they" raise and feed the meat we eat. It was an interesting book, but as one critic pointed out, the author's sole qualifications are that "she grew up on a farm and her parents served good food, she is healthy and she has managed/owned greenmarket stores". I also hesitate to take everything she wrote at face value for the simple reason that she accepts as fact the theory of evolution. If she ignores even the existence of our Creator, how can I possibly trust her to guide me in my quest to eat right?

In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan, was also very interesting (although also written from an evolutionist viewpoint), and better written (and researched) than Real Food. It seemed to cover the same ground as Real Food did, but the last third of the book delved into more of howwe Americans eat instead of what we eat. The author gives advice such as "Eat meals." "Eat at a table. No, a desk is not a table." "Don't get your fuel from the same place your car does." "Try not to eat alone." "Eat slowly." I really enjoyed that book, but the same principle applied; the author ignored even the existence of our Creator.

For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway has nothing to do with food. But it was really, really good! I had a hard time putting it down. (But that has nothing to do with orthorexia or the subjects of food and nutrition.)

During my research I had come across another book called The Maker's Diet by Jordan Rubin, so I decided to look into it. (Literally! Amazon has that neat feature where you can actually read parts of books.) It looked like too much of one man's experience and not enough of what I wanted, so I kept looking. I got side-tracked in my search by the title of a book by the same author, The Maker's Diet for Weight-Loss. (What mother of four with some weight to losewouldn't get side-tracked by a title like that?!?) I used the same neat "pre-read" feature, and found almost instantly that that book wasn't for me either. However, the time I spent researching Jordan Rubin's books was not wasted, because on one of the pages in The Maker's Diet for Weight Loss, he quoted from a book called What the Bible Says About Healthy Livingby Rex Russell, MD.

Ah. How refreshing! A book about healthy living (not just eating), based on Biblical truths, written by a man who not only is a Christian, but who has his MD and is diabetic. All of the qualifications I was looking for, all wrapped up in one author! I bought this book, and as soon as it came in the mail, I started reading. It was fascinating! The text is easy to read, liberally sprinkled with Bible verses and references (as a book entitled "What the Bible Says About..." should be!), and equal parts "ewwww factor" and funny. When I finished the book, I immediately wanted to share everything I'd learned from it with everyone I know. The only problem is that while I was immersed in this book, I was also finishing reading through Romans, (both books cover the subject of "the law"). While I would actually highly recommend reading through both concurrently (Romans shone more light on what I was reading in Russell's book and made it easier to understand, and vice versa), I came across a passage in Romans 14 (specifically verse 22!) that struck a nerve:

²⁰Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. ²¹It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.

²²So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. ²³But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

So, while I would love to tell you what you should and should not be eating, I will refrain, and instead I will just highly recommend that you read for yourself What The Bible Says About Healthy Living by Rex Russell, MD, and form your own conclusions.

Oh, and The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan? I decided not to read it at all. It seems to me that only an orthorexic would read four thick books on the subject of food in one week, so I'm going to keep it to three, and go back and read What The Bible Says About Healthy Living again instead. :)

Thoughts on Mowing

2009-03-23T20:42:00.001-07:00

Our back yard has a definite slope to it, and our lot is not square. I know these things about our yard, and I appreciate them for different reasons, but when it comes to mowing the back yard, the odd shape of the lot drives me crazy! I like the nice neat lines the lawn mower creates, but it takes some creativity to get them to line up neatly from any angle...not that I have too much energy to waste working on that!

I like those nice neat lines for two reasons. They look neat when I'm done, and when I'm in the process of mowing, they give me guidelines to follow; I can see where I've already been. This morning, as the lawn mower was bouncing crazily over the roughest spots, and I tried to keep my lines straight, it struck me how much mowing my back yard has in common with my walk with God.

We have trees in the back of our lot. They are not evenly spaced by any stretch of the imagination, but they make excellent focal points nonetheless. When I mowed uphill toward the back of the lot, I could fix my eyes on a tree, and no matter how crazily the mower was bouncing around, I could easily keep my lines straight. Going downhill towards the house was easy going. The mower still bounced over the rough spots, but it was downhill, and I felt like I could relax a little, at least enough to check on the kids playing on the back deck. The problem came when I reached the bottom and turned around to go back up again. The lines going up were as perfectly straight as I could make them, but the lines coming down were completely uneven and crooked, because I didn't have a focal point.

So I tried a new strategy. Going uphill, I picked a tree to keep my eyes on, and going downhill I found something on the house or deck to focus on. That worked pretty well, but looking back up from the bottom of the hill, again I could see crooked lines. This time, the crooked lines were caused not by not having a focal point, but by taking my eyes off of the focal point to check on the kids or to throw a stick or rock out of my way.

I was reminded of Philippians 3:12-14. "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Now don't get me wrong! When mowing the lawn, it is important to throw sticks and rocks out of the way, and to check on the kids every now and then. It's even okay to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine, and to relax a little on those downhill slopes. Those actions, on the other hand, made me realize how often I focus too much on the things of this world and neglect "pressing on toward the goal."

I spend a lot of time thinking about things like how to raise my children properly, how to teach them, what we are eating, and what needs done around the house, which are all good and necessary things to consider. However, I should not be focusing on those issues to the point where I no longer have time or energy to read my Bible, pray, and "strain toward what is ahead".

It is hard work mowing uphill, and it is hard work following God's ways, but they are both made easier by keeping my focus in the proper place and on the right thing. Often my walk with God is comfortable and easy, as is mowing downhill, but when I look back, I find that I have neglected something, or become complacent about something I shouldn't have.

I need to apply these lessons I've learned today about mowing my back yard to my daily life, and do as Hebrews 12:2 says: "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

When my eyes are fixed on Him, it doesn't matter how rough the ground is beneath my feet. When my eyes are fixed on Him, the lines of my life will be as perfectly straight as I can make them.

Just like my back yard.

Not My Mother's Yogurt

2009-03-05T16:56:00.003-08:00

I have never really liked yogurt. Especially the homemade plain yogurt my mom used to make in the hotbox when we lived in Peru, South America (Sorry, Mom!). So I simply avoided eating it.

When my two oldest girls were little, I used to buy them those special baby yogurts. I figured that I should at least taste what I was feeding my kids, and what do you know?!? They were pretty good! I started buying yogurt for me, too, in all the fancy flavors I could find. After a while, the girls were both eating yogurt at least once a day, too, and it was cheaper to buy them the same kinds I was buying for my husband and I. When my youngest daughter graduated to eating "big people yogurt" too, it got to be a little bit expensive. We were going through at least 25 yogurts a week, usually more, and the commissary doesn't carry any (cheaper) generic brands.

When I was pregnant with my son, I had gestational diabetes, and I had to pay attention to how many carbohydrates were in each thing I ate. Just one of my favorite yogurts filled my entire quota of carbs for a snack, (and it was too many carbs for my breakfast), and I began to examine the label a little closer. Sugar. Lots of sugar.

So I borrowed a little trick from a friend who is a registered dietitian and mother of four, and began mixing the sugared, flavored yogurts with plain yogurt for the kids' snacks. Three scoops of plain yogurt for each kid, and one scoop of flavored came out perfectly. We used only one yogurt a day (for the kids, anyway) and they no longer complained that their yogurt was too sweet.

When my husband deployed again, and I quit buying yogurt for his lunches, the kids and I started mixing other things into our plain yogurt for snacks. We've had it with raisins, frozen fruit, honey, jam, brown sugar, and granola. Most recently, our favorite way to eat yogurt is plain...and warm. (I can hear you now..."Eww! Warm yogurt?!? That's disgusting!" Bear with me...)

I was now buying plain yogurt in those two pound containers, and we were eating so much of it that I was beginning (again) to question the cost, not to mention the fact that two times out of three the commissary was out of it when we needed it. So I looked online and found a recipe for making yogurt in the crockpot. And it actually works! The first time I tried it, it was ready right at breakfast time, and all four kids practically inhaled their huge servings of warm yogurt, and then they asked for more. Well, except for Mr. Adorable. The only words he said the entire time were, "Mmmm. Mmmm. Mmmm.", and then finally he asked for more too. "Mo, Mama!"

Yesterday I made it again in my new crockpot, but a double batch this time. I had also found a recipe for vanilla yogurt, but it called for almost as much sugar as it did milk, so I decided to just try adding vanilla to the milk and see what happened. I made the vanilla yogurt in my old, smaller crockpot. I started both batches yesterday morning, and by 9:00 last night they were done. I waited until 11:00 to put all the yogurt in jars, and I ran out of jars before I had emptied the crockpot of vanilla yogurt. There was about 3/4 of a glass left over of the most liquid-y of the still-warm yogurt.

So I drank it. It was so good that I mixed a little milk into another glassful of yogurt this morning for breakfast.

It is definitely not my mother's yogurt.

Tired of Broken Jars

2009-02-23T13:48:00.006-08:00

I make vegetable stock to use in our soups, and then I freeze it until I'm ready to use it. I don't like to use Ziploc bags to freeze it in, because I always make a mess, so I experimented with quart jars. I made sure it had cooled completely before I filled the jars, left the lids off until it was frozen solid, and I left plenty of space for the stock to expand, and still the jars kept breaking in the freezer! I did a little research and discovered that I was not the only one to have this problem, so I thought a little harder and came up with a new solution.

I freeze the stock in a muffin pan. I can control how much goes in each cup before I freeze it, and my quart jars don't break any more! It's also a lot easier to get the stock out of the jar, and I don't have to use all of it if I don't need it. This method also works well for my chicken and turkey soup bases and for the beef stock I make out of the leftover roast juices.

I think this would also work well for freezing leftover soups! It would be frozen in nice little portions, simple and easy to warm up for one, two, or more people, and the smaller portions melt faster, too. A good thing when it's lunchtime and your children are starving!

I only wish I'd thought of this sooner!

There are always lots of great ideas and recipes on Kitchen Tip Tuesdays at Tammysrecipes.com!

Vah Humvug!

2009-02-14T06:17:00.002-08:00

Thump thumpity thump thump thump! The sound of my four-year-old's feet skipping across the floor woke me up. I knew instantly who it was, and dragged myself out of bed to go find out why she was up...at 4:48 a.m. And that other sound I was hearing...yes, it was definitely whispering. When I got upstairs, she was just climbing back into her bed, my seven-year-old daughters were together in one bed, and all three of them were whispering excitedly about the valentines I'd left at the ends of their beds.

Vah Humvug.

I am a Valentine's Day Scrooge, but thanks to their grandmas, the girls have been counting down the days until Valentine's Day. They've planned out what they were going to wear today, and they've been working all week on envelopes for each other that are overflowing with notes and drawings. My oldest daughter gave me a Valentine's note a few days ago, and when I went to bed last night, I found an envelope from the other 7-year-old daughter on my bedside table:

So I dug out some valentines and put one at the end of each girls bed, and one by Mr Adorable's door.

And now, the girls and I have all been up since 4:48.

Hmph. Vah Humvug.

Opportunities

2009-02-14T06:12:00.003-08:00

Remember the chaotic lunch preparations I wrote about the other day? I got an email yesterday morning that made me look at our time spent together in the kitchen in a whole new way.

Someone older and wiser than I shared with me her own experiences with her young children helping in the kitchen and commented, "what fun, and what an opportunity for teaching and patience."

Before yesterday, I was looking at my kitchen-ful of kids and seeing messes, enthusiasm, inexperience, the learning process, spills, helpfulness, waste, wonder, and excitement. I saw the potential for fun, and the opportunity for me to teach, but I missed seeing the lessons that are there for me to learn.

My dictionary defines opportunity as: "a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something". I just went back and counted, and in that description of our lunch-making process, there were 17 opportunities for patience. And for the record, since I'm being honest here, I only took 7 of them. I missed 10 opportunities to be patient...but at least now I know what they look like.

I'm excited now to learn to recognize all my opportunities for patience! I'm sure that I can find them all day long, and not just when we're working in the kitchen. The challenge will be in reminding myself that they ARE opportunities for patience, not just another mess to clean up or problem to solve!

Group Cooking 101

2009-02-14T05:54:00.002-08:00

I'll admit it. I have not been very excited about the prospect of having the kids help me in the kitchen. They're 7, 7, 4, and 21 months, and they're messy, they're slow, and they tend to enjoy the strangest things at the most inopportune moments. It is SO much easier and faster to do it myself.

On the other hand, I want to teach them how to cook, and they're eager to learn, so I decided (and yes, it took a conscious decision) to start teaching them now, before they decide it's not fun anymore. I just make sure we're making something that is easily salvageable in case of accidents, and that we have plenty of time to get it put together. And I'm teaching them to start with a clean work area and to clean up after themselves as we go. :)

So, the other day for lunch, we made Creamed Tuna on toast because our bread was going stale. (You wanted the truth, right?) :) My part of the process sounded something like this (names have been changed to protect the innocent):

"Everyone washed their hands with soap? OK, Addie, you can unwrap this butter and put it in the pan. No, if you want to unwrap the butter you can do it now and get a drink after you're done. Molly, please get the flour. Julia, find a tablespoon. That's a cup. You need one of the spoons that says 1 TBS on it. Molly, if you keep whining at me you won't get to do anything else. You'll get a turn doing something. I know, you can get the toaster out and put the bread in it. Addie, are you about done opening the butter? Julia, while we're waiting for the butter you can measure one tablespoon of flour, but don't dump it in yet. Isaiah, take the ball out of the kitchen. No, I'll pour the milk into the measuring cup because I just opened this gallon and it's too heavy for you, Molly. Addie, is that butter unwrapped yet? Put it in the pan and throw the paper away, then wash your hands again. Molly, stir this butter until it melts, but be careful not to touch the pan. It's hot. Julia, you can put the flour in and then get one more spoonful. Molly, keep stirring all over the pan so that the flour doesn't stick and burn. No, thank you Julia, I'll put the milk in. Keep stirring, Molly. Julia, you can put the flour away. Yes, Addie, you can get out the ketchup. Hold on a minute, Julia. I don't know yet what you can do next. Addie, why are you getting the stool? No, the ketchup is in the fridge! Isaiah, please shut the drawer. Here, Molly, let me stir for a minute to make sure it's mixed up good before we put more in. Julia, it's your turn to stir. Molly, fill this tablespoon two times with ketchup and dump it in. Isaiah, get out of the cupboard! Yes, Addie, you can put the ketchup away. No, please put it in right side up, it's too full to put upside down yet. It keeps falling over. Would you like to help open the tuna fish? These are neat packages Daddy bought, aren't they? Keep stirring Julia. What?!? They even put corn syrup in Worcestershire sauce! OK, dump the tuna in, Addie, but be careful of the hot pan. Just one, Molly, and let Addie open the other two. You can push down the thing on the toaster now, Molly. Let me break up those chunks, Julia, I don't want you to get splashed. Molly get plates, Julia get forks, Isaiah get in your highchair. Everyone helped, Molly, not just you and Julia. Quit trying to upset your sister. Who wants milk?"

In spite of the chaos, it was kind of fun! So, after snack, when no one wanted to help me work in the kitchen, I wondered aloud if I had enough energy to make the cookies I had planned to make. Julia immediately changed her mind and volunteered to help me.

So, Julia and I made cookies Thursday afternoon, just the two of us.

And since Addie was the only one still at the table after lunch when I discovered that my new crock pot had been delivered, she helped me create "Stoneless Stone Soup".

Molly, not to be left out, helped make bread later in the afternoon to go with our soup.

And we all survived the experience! :)

Soup's On!

2009-02-14T05:49:00.001-08:00

My new Crock Pot came on Thursday!

When I tried to make a double batch of Crock Pot Granola and barely had room to stir, and when our favorite recipe of Crock Pot Ajiaco came close to overflowing the pot, I decided it was time to research and buy a bigger Crock Pot.

I had a hard time finding what I wanted. I knew I wanted an oval one, 6 quart capacity or larger, with white stoneware, and after doing some research, I also knew that I didn't want a "smart" one with pre-set hour selections. My initial shopping ventures made me think that the Crock Pot I was hoping to find did not exist. But I persevered, and finally found what I had in mind, and it was exactly what I wanted!

What I want to know is, when did I become this person...this person that got so excited about the delivery of her new Crock Pot that she immediately washed it and began to make soup?

Not My Mother's Casserole

2009-01-27T20:10:00.002-08:00

When we were first married, my husband and I had a deal. He cooked, I cleaned up after him. That system worked for a few years, but when I started working only part-time and eventually not at all, I took over the cooking. I will freely admit how much I really enjoyed that first phase of our marriage, because I have never liked to cook. I knew HOW, (Mom made sure of that!), but I didn't have to like it.

I came into our marriage with a boatload of family recipes and familiar cookbooks, and collected more along the way. I discovered Cooking Light magazine in 2003, and suddenly, cooking was fun! I was trying new, sometimes exotic recipes that were actually good for us! I tried something new almost every night, and I spent a lot of my spare time reading through other people's published recipes.

That phase didn't last long, though. Maybe remodeling a townhouse with three little girls ages three and under had something to do with it...or maybe it was the cross-country move to our new home that killed it, but whatever it was, by the time my husband deployed to Iraq, I was back to basic, boring meals. Whatever was quick, relatively balanced, and easy to make, that's what was for dinner. Eat-it-anyway food.

When my husband returned home from Iraq, I started cooking again. Nothing fancy, but things that actually took prep time. Things I had to plan ahead for. There-are-no-leftovers food.

That didn't last long either. I got pregnant with Mr. Adorable, and I. Was. Exhausted. All the time. I was doing good to get something -- anything -- on the table. And then I had 3 kids and an infant. And I started homeschooling. And for 11 weeks I had to cook in a kitchen the size of a postage stamp, that had a teeny tiny fridge and no oven. With three pots and a skillet. At-least-we're-eating food.

The one thing that was consistent through all of those phases was my attitude. I was selfish. I still am, but I'm admitting it now. :) I didn't want to spend time cooking, because that took away even more time from the little "me" time I had left in my day.

I've spent quite a bit of time in the past year or so with three women, Elisabeth, Charlotte, and Tammy, who have greatly influenced my thinking, and my attitude. Elisabeth Elliot started the changing process for me when a friend re-introduced me to her books. Her words, some gentle reminders, some not-so-gentle statements, addressed my root issue of selfishness and challenged me to aim higher. I am a wife and mother -- THIS is my calling, my portion. (Including the cooking part, which has slowly BECOME my "me" time, even when I share it.) Charlotte Mason, while addressing the issue of the Will in teaching children, showed me that when I change my thoughts, my attitude will change along with them. And then Lindafay, who led me to Charlotte, "introduced" me to Tammy's Recipes through a link in her side-bar.

Oh my. A recipe blog. Filled with common sense, a good attitude, good recipes, and links every Tuesday to OTHER blogs full of recipes, ideas, and thoughts. As I read through Tammy's blog, and others I found through hers, I started thinking about not just WHAT to cook for dinner, but about things like WHAT is IN what I'm cooking for dinner, and how high our grocery bill really WAS every week.

It didn't take long for me to get excited about cooking again. I was already enjoying the challenge of cooking more from scratch, trying new recipes (although recipe blogs can be addicting!), tweaking old ones to suit our tastes, and seeing just how low I could get the grocery bill ... and then I started reading the labels on everything I buy.

I've always tried to pay attention to the labels on the foods I give my family, doing the "good mommy" thing by avoiding the "bad fats" and making sure sugar wasn't TOO high on the ingredients list. BUT. I started reading the labels on my favorite "staple" items too. High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, and Sugar as the first or second ingredients in "healthy" foods. MSG, and Polymonuglutasucramites, and glurocamodirides, (yes, I made those two words up), and more unpronounceable chemical additives. I quit buying them.

Yeah, I've made some big changes lately. Mostly it's my attitude that has changed, but the way I shop and the way I cook have changed, too. And I'm making some little changes as well.

Take tonight, for instance. I made one of my mom's recipes, Hamburger Green Bean Casserole, but I made a few changes. I made my own Cream of Mushroom soup instead of using a can, and I used plain yogurt instead of sour cream. Mom's recipe is very good the way it is, and those were the only two things I changed, but it was Not My Mother's Casserole anymore.

It was mine. :)

Baking Shortcut

2009-01-25T18:43:00.004-08:00

I have a new favorite whole wheat bread recipe (Thanks, Angel!) that calls for orange juice. The kids and I don't drink a lot of orange juice, and if I mix up a batch it tends to just sit in the fridge...forever! So I saved myself some time and money, and froze the orange juice in ice cube trays. I measured before I froze them, and the 1/4 cup I need for the recipe equals three cubes. Now, when I make bread, I just thaw out three orange juice cubes and I'm ready to bake!

Tammy has some bread slicing tips on today's Kitchen Tips!

Closet Space

2009-01-23T20:49:00.006-08:00

After Mr. Adorable dumped the contents of my shoe rack onto the floor, I decided that maybe it was time to clean out my closet. I've spent the last year sorting, consolidating and re-organizing every closet and every room in the house, and I never even thought about tackling MY closet.

But last month, tackle it I did! I made myself some mental guidelines and dove into the project. I got rid of:

*anything that was stained, stretched out, or worn out

*styles that were too young

*shirts that were low-necked, sheer, or not long enough

*things that just "weren't ME" (even if they WERE cashmere!)

*shoes that were uncomfortably tight (even if they WERE Clarks!)

I sorted through my bookshelves recently too, and got rid of a small pile of beloved books, the premise being that if I wouldn't allow my children to read them when they get older, then they have no business being on my shelves. As a parent, I should lead by example! That same idea contributed to my clothes-sorting guidelines.

To begin with, we humans (especially we Americans) could get by with a lot less stuff. (Time to clean OUT the closet, not just straighten it!) We (our family) live on a comfortable income, and can afford to buy new clothes IF and when we really need them. (Good-bye, stained, stretched out, worn out old t-shirts -- I can always wear one of my husband's t-shirts when I mow the lawn!) I am 32 years old, and a mother of four. (Isn't it time to dress my age? Well, at least not wear clothes meant for teenagers...) I am trying to teach my girls what is and what isn't modest, and good examples are hard to find. (I shouldn't be able to point to my OWN closet for the bad examples!) And yes, I am addicted to cashmere (anything cashmere!) and Clarks brand shoes, and I will freely admit it. (But that doesn't mean I should wear unflattering colors or styles and walk around in too-tight shoes!)

It is a lot easier to keep my closet neatly organized now that there are less clothes in it! Now, if I could just convince Mr. Adorable that my shoes and shoe rack are not toys...

On the 16th Day of January

2009-01-16T18:38:00.001-08:00

4 gallon bags of frozen, crushed tomatoes and juice - thawed and cooked

8 1/4 quarts of spaghetti sauce - cooked and canned

5 quarts of concentrated tomato soup stock - canned

5 pints of tomato juice - canned

3 pints of tomato juice - frozen

12 cookies baked for snack-time - and eaten!

12 slices of ham for lunch tomorrow

5 pints of diced ham - diced and frozen

1 ham bone and 2 cups of chopped ham scraps - frozen

1 ice cube tray of ham drippings - frozen

1 chuck roast with new potatoes, gravy and green beans for dinner

2 pints of beef soup stock - frozen

1 pint leftover roast - shredded and frozen

1 chest freezer - sorted and organized

1 fridge/freezer - sorted and organized

3 dishwasher loads - washed and put away

2 loads of hand washing - drip drying

1 stove-top with burned-on tomato juice - cleaned

6 phone calls

1 visitor

1st grade schoolwork - done in the kitchen

Kindergarten schoolwork - done in the kitchen

1 cranky toddler - cuddled

1 lost tooth

1 exhausted mommy

Hm. I count more than 12 hours spent in the kitchen today. I think I'll wait until tomorrow to bake my bread. :)

Handy Multi-use Cleaning Tool

2008-12-29T11:46:00.007-08:00

I keep a handy, multi-use cleaning tool in my dish drainer -- an old toothbrush! It has come in handy for cleaning those hard to reach places that I can't get as clean as I would like with a rag or scrub brush (like behind the faucet, or in the ridges of the fridge's water dispenser tray), and it's easy to clean when I'm done using it. Sometimes soap and hot water is all it needs, but sometimes it gets a bleach bath just to be safe. :) I let it air-dry with the bristles up so it doesn't get gross.

This week I discovered another use for it -- I squirted dish soap on it like I would toothpaste and scrubbed out all the little bits of turkey and herbs that were stuck on the inside of my baster. :)

Have you discovered Kitchen Tip Tuesday at tammysrecipes.com yet? Go visit!

Christmas Challenge - Part 25

2008-12-25T16:23:00.004-08:00

25 - A Final Christmas Challenge! We celebrated Christmas today far from our extended family, and with an integral part of our immediate family away from home as well, and it was a JOYFUL, HAPPY Christmas! For our family, it does not matter who we are with on Christmas Day (or who is with us!) or where we celebrate.

Christmas is a joyful reminder that GOD, the Creator and Ruler of the Universe, chose to send His only son to earth, not "just to visit" or "be a good example" or "spread peace and goodwill", but He came with a purpose: to die for us and save us from our sins! What a reason for us to celebrate, no matter what our present circumstances may be!

So, from our imperfect circumstances to yours...JOYFUL CHRISTMAS, everyone!!! :)

Christmas Challenge - Part 24

2008-12-24T17:35:00.003-08:00

24 - Making Memories. It's Christmas Eve! I wonder if the kids will remember much of what we did today, but I have no doubt that I will! I wouldn't say we "made merry" or did anything special, but we definitely made some memories! We made a Walmart run for milk, eggs, wrapping paper, tape and crayons on a very windy day, and we came out of the store into a torrential downpour. It was wonderfully warm rain, pooling up to my ankles in the parking lot, and we were soaked to the skin by the time we got to our van, but we laughed all the way, and my four-year-old caught raindrops on her tongue...and her eyes, nose, face, and hair, too. :) What a memory to keep! This evening the kids unwrapped their pajamas from Grandma by the light of the Christmas tree, a bunch of candles, and a rarely lit fireplace. (Note to self: next year, don't light the advent candles when the fireplace is lit...although the spectacularly melted-down candles really impressed the girls.) More memories... :)

Happy Christmas Eve!

Christmas Challenge - Part 23

2008-12-23T17:47:00.008-08:00

23 - Christmas Lights. My like-minded neighbor and I were talking today about how much money it takes to decorate the outside of a house for Christmas, for just one month out of the year. We came up with a fairly simple, Scrooge-ish solution...skip the decorating, and enjoy the neighbors' displays! :)

So, enjoy the Christmas lights...courtesy of our neighbors! :)

Christmas Challenge - Part 22

2008-12-22T18:14:00.002-08:00

22 - Cinnamon Dough Ornaments. We made these last year as a school project when my two oldest were in Kindergarden. We (yes, all six of us!) were living in a hotel room, and we didn't have a lot of decorating options, or space! I got some cookie cutters at the thrift store for .25, and we made these ornaments. They smelled wonderful, and we made a bunch to mail to grandmas and aunts for Christmas presents. We kept the Baby Jesus we made, though. :)

Christmas Challenge - Part 21

2008-12-22T17:32:00.003-08:00

21 - Christmas Card display. It had to be cheap, easy, out of my way, and definitely out of reach. So I stuck two push-pins in the top of the trim (where the holes won't show) and tied an elasticised ribbon to them. I hang up the cards we receive with plastic coated paper clips. It is cheap, easy, out of my way, and definitely out of reach. :)

And next year I'm going to skip the elasticised ribbon and go with something a little less, well, stretchy. :)

Christmas Challenge - Part 20

2008-12-20T17:31:00.003-08:00

20 - Procrastinators get what they ask for... namely, long lines at the post office! Most years I am so organized that I have Christmas gifts wrapped up and ready to be mailed to far away places shortly after Thanksgiving (which, by the way, really saves on shipping costs!). Between the recent upheaval in our household, our bouts of sickness, and those well-laid plans I had for Christmas gift baskets NOT working out as planned, well, let's just say that procrastination became my byword of the month.

The five of us spent the first part of our morning at the post office...twice. We got there shortly after they opened and took the first load in (there was NO line!), mailed some stuff, bought stamps and got boxes, then went back out to the car to assemble the boxes. The girls put stamps on our pile of Christmas cards, Mr. Adorable read books and played, and I packaged, addressed, and promised myself that this WILL NOT HAPPEN next year. We went back inside and got in the kinda-long line, and mailed the rest of our stuff. By the time we left, the line was humongous, and I can only imagine how much it grew as the day went on!

All these words, just to say, "Plan ahead, don't procrastinate, and you'll save yourself a bunch of money, without the last-minute headache!"

Christmas Challenge - Part 19

2008-12-19T18:12:00.005-08:00

19 - Christmas Letter. Instead of Christmas cards, we usually send out a Christmas letter (with pictures) to our friends and family. This year, due to circumstances beyond our control, the time I usually set aside to work on them was taken up by other important activities, like spending time with my husband.

So if you get a Christmas card instead of a Christmas letter from me this year, do me a favor. Set aside something you've got planned that isn't really all that important, and go spend some time with someone you love instead.

(And, yes, I'll be hitting those after Christmas clearance sales and stocking up on Christmas cards -- to save for the next time life happens!) :)

Christmas Challenge - Part 18

2008-12-18T17:18:00.002-08:00

18 - Buy just one favorite movie. Last year I rented Baryshnikov's version of The Nutcracker for my girls to watch. They LOVED it (but then again, I don't know too many little girls who wouldn't!) So this year, for a joint Christmas present I got them "their" own copy (from half.com -- for less than half the price other places were charging!), and I gave it to them early. Our kids do not watch many movies as a rule, but with special permission, they have watched it almost every day (sometimes twice a day) after their schoolwork and chores are done. Even Mr. Adorable watches the whole thing -- he is 19 months old and won't sit through any other movie.

Yeah, I think we've gotten our money's worth out of it. :)

Christmas Challenge - Part 17

2008-12-17T14:38:00.002-08:00

17 - Do you see what I see? I see a beautiful star, colored and cut out by a certain 4 year-old, and hung at the top of our tree with gold foil-covered wire. She made it in Children's Church on Sunday, and spent the ride home wondering where on the tree would be high enough to keep it safe, because "It's only paper, but it's special to me, Mom."

Christmas Challenge - Part 16

2008-12-16T11:21:00.006-08:00

16 - Nothing says Christmas like...kumquats! Perhaps growing up in the southern hemisphere (where Christmas is in the summer) has twisted my thinking slightly, but I was elated to find kumquats at my commissary yesterday. (Yes, elated!) :)

Why has the Christmas season become synonymous with cookies and candy and every kind of sweet sugary treat? This year, none of it appeals to me! (I know what you are thinking, dear family and friends: who AM I and what I have I done with the REAL me!?!) :) My answer this week to the question of Christmas treats: kumquats.

Kumquats are sweet and sour, convenient (you eat the peel), and bright and cheerful! I filled up my grandma's antique juicer with them and use them as a centerpiece on the table. In the past, I have filled a giant vase with red delicious apples, green Granny Smith apples, or a combination of the two, or a tall, narrow vase with cranberries. Beautiful, convenient, healthy snacks...I mean centerpieces!

(Check out Kitchen Tip Tuesdays at tammysrecipes.com!)

Christmas Challenge - Part 15

2008-12-15T19:52:00.004-08:00

15 - Stocking Stuffers. My kids usually get a bunch of small things in their stockings, as well as things like dried fruit and nuts, none of which are much fun to wrap. So I had my mom make me some little drawstring bags out of Christmas fabric scraps that I can fill for them year after year. Cute, free, and reusable! (Thanks, Mom!) :)

Christmas Challenge - Part 14

2008-12-15T19:39:00.002-08:00

14 - Clearance, clearance, clearance. I won't embarrass any stores by telling you how cheap I got these things. I shop the Christmas clearance sales every year. I don't mean the day-after sales. I mean the "it's been marked down more than 75% and is dirt-cheap" sales, a month or so later. Things like wrapping paper and gift bags and cards you can save away for next year (and they don't take much storage space, either). I keep the candles to use next year, and I've used a big tub of soft wrapped mints as filler in packages we mail. Use your imagination!

Christmas Challenge - Part 13

2008-12-13T18:16:00.003-08:00

13 - Specialty Christmas recipes. You'd think that a recipe written by a chef with a good reputation would be good, right? Not necessarily. I searched for and finally found a recipe online for something I wanted to make for a food gift basket for a friend (who is reading this, so act surprised when you get it, okay?). :) I made it last night, (and followed the recipe EXACTLY) and packaged it up without trying it first. Today it occurred to me that I should at least sample it before giving it. It was horrible. Awful. I couldn't even finish the little bit I sampled.

So, because I hate to waste anything, I gave it to the kids for a snack. They were thrilled! But the "mmm's" got quieter and quieter, until finally they told me it was too sweet and asked permission to throw the rest out.

Oh well. Maybe I can find another use for it. :( And I've got another recipe to try for that gift basket...but I WILL remember to sample it first! :)

Christmas Challenge - Part 12

2008-12-12T17:30:00.002-08:00

12 - Use old maps as wrapping paper. My husband is a pilot, so we have a lot of expired sectional charts around our house. We reuse them as wrapping paper for our kids, families, and like-minded friends. :)

(Side-note: I don't like using the comics out of the newspaper like my grandparents did because I don't like getting newsprint everywhere, and we don't get the paper anyway. It's a great idea too though!)

Christmas Challenge - Part 11

2008-12-11T16:49:00.003-08:00

11 - On not spending money. This week we have discovered a way to not only cut back on the grocery bill, but to not spend money anywhere else, either.

Get sick. Really yucky sick. Awful.

Everyone in the whole house.

At the same time.

We've tried that this week, and we didn't go grocery shopping or run any errands. We've saved a bundle, I'm sure, but I don't recommend this method!

Christmas Challenge - Part 10

2008-12-10T11:36:00.004-08:00

10 - Do your Christmas shopping ahead of time. WAY ahead of time! Start watching the after Christmas clearance and sales for all of your Christmas supplies and gifts for next year. If you buy gifts ahead of time though, don't forget who you bought each gift for, and don't forget where you put them! (Sticky notes work well!) :)

Christmas Challenge - Part 9

2008-12-09T12:14:00.003-08:00

9 - More decorating with frugal finds. Last year at this time, all six of us were living in one hotel room (by choice!). Decorating space was hard to find, and we were on a budget. These glass bulb ornaments that I got for $.25 at the thrift store found room to come home with us after that experience, and now they fill a large vase and brighten up a corner of our house. They serve three purposes; they add color, they remind me that we don't need a lot of "stuff" to live happily, and they remind me to keep my priorities straight. Big jobs for humble old ornaments! :)

Christmas Challenge - Part 8

2008-12-08T10:12:00.002-08:00

8 - Use an old photo album as an address book. I keep an alphabetized list of all the people we correspond with at Christmas in an old photo album. I write their current address in pencil in the space next to the picture, and I put the most recent picture we have of them (usually their most recent Christmas photo-card) in the photo keeper slot. It keeps me organized in the midst of the Christmas chaos, and it comes in handy too when my husband can't remember a name! :)

Christmas Challenge - Part 7

2008-12-07T20:34:00.010-08:00

7 - Use up the eggnog. I use the last eggnog in the carton to make Eggnog Scones. The first time I tried doing this (over 10 years ago), I really was trying to use up the eggnog, and found a recipe on the back of the eggnog container. They were SO GOOD that I wanted to make more, but I had thrown out the container without thinking, and the recipe with it! After a few years of trying, I finally adapted a scones recipe to get that eggnog flavor I was looking for, and now (here comes another confession!) I actually buy the eggnog just so I can make the scones. At least my intentions were good in the beginning! :)

(Have you discovered Kitchen Tip Tuesdays hosted by TammysRecipes.com yet?!? Go visit!)

Christmas Challenge - Part 6

2008-12-06T09:35:00.005-08:00

6 - Reuse Gift Bags and Wrapping Paper. We (the adults in the house) reuse these same gift bags every year for each other. The kids get wrapping paper on their gifts, and if the paper survives the gift-opening experience, we save it to use again.

Christmas Challenge - Part 5

2008-12-05T11:35:00.005-08:00

5 - Use paper clips to hang ornaments. If you already have a surplus of paper clips around your house, don't bother buying those cheap ornament hangers (that never last anyway). Just reuse a paper clip by twisting it around until it turns into a hook.

(Hey, I never said these ideas would be earth-shattering!) :)

Christmas Challenge - Part 4

2008-12-04T11:42:00.005-08:00

4 - Turn old Christmas Cards into Gift Tags. After Christmas is over, and the decorations are all put away, I sort through the Christmas cards we received and put aside any that we can reuse as gift tags. I look for small pictures, with extra space to write on. Then the girls and I cut them out neatly and store them away for next year. Sometimes we tape them to a package, and sometimes we punch a hole through the tag and attach it to the package with a ribbon. A simple, practical idea (that I borrowed from my Grandma!) :)